Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-10
PAMILIAR TALKS NO. 81.
lwRrrTEs Foa TIE Posr-nTELLroEscEA.

BY Z. MEEKER.
WRITTEN Poa THE PosT-IRTKLLIoENCEB.
For nearly a two thousand mile
stretch west from st. Paul have not,
from the car windows, seen an orchard
or shrub indicating that the country
was capable Of producing fruit OF any
kind. | doubt not that in some shell
tered spots fruit may be grown, but
the entire absence Of the evidence
leads one up TO the point Of inquiry
What are these people going 10 do for
their fruit7 Ship it into the country,
to be sure, hear some say. and that
is exactly where our especial interest
comes in. Bleak or not, cold or not,
timber or no timber, billiards or no
Billiards, this whole region from Puget
Sound to Lake Superior is settling up ;
some sections, Of course, more densely
than others. but the aggregate popula-
ton that will inhabit this vast region
is great probably beyond the expecta-
ton Of the most sanguine.
Every west-bound train is loaded
with emigrants, many, of course, go
ing on through to our own Territory
and Oregon, vet more stopping on the
way, in Minnesota, Dakota. Montana
and Idaho. As crossed the river At
Bismarck. where the break had oc-
Cured and where all the passengers
had TO alight, | had an opportunity OF
seeing the great crowd. Four hundred
had passed westward the evening be
fore, and now came another crowd
nearly as great, ESQ, | believe, men,
women and children) while on the
east-bound train we're only few tour
lists, some on business and here and
there returning discouraged emigrants
not a hundred, all told.
What are these people, who are set
Ting in this great treeless plain, going
to do about fruitf This Is a question
Of vital interest b the farmers and or
chardists 81 Washington and Oregon.
We should prepare the way 10 supply
them both at home and abroad, for
they are coming have come.
The man that will intelligently plant
fruit trees in Washington or Oregon
LAYS the foundation for a fortune and
will have lived a life OF usefulness.
say intelligently, for the reason that |
have seen many attempts in a small
way miscarry from the selection Of an
unsuitable location. or from i'll advised
varieties planted. or from the numer-
Gus varieties grown. We have seen
the time when our fruit was drug in
the market. simply because we have
hs1 - -. D.
Of any one kind 10 attract the atten-
ton OF buyers. When the time comes
that We can begin to ship carloads Of
our apples. pears. plumS. cherries and
who viii not say, finally. peaches and
grapes , and follow this up for each in
It's season. then will we have laid the
foundation for future land a near fu-
ture at thatl great results, | have no
doubt. far beyond that OF hops or Of
any other special crop We grow or can
grow.
What kinds shall We grow is natur.
ally the first question. | listened a.
an animated conversation in the cars
today. IS We were nearing St Paul. by
party Of tourists who had made the
round trip, going west on the Southern
Pacific 60 l.ns Angeles. and returning
over the Northern Pacific. The ques-
ton was. what fruit was the most inn
portant in a commercial aud eConomi-
cal point Of view oranges apples
pears, what Ii was nearly unanim-
ouSly voted apples. These people were
canyaSSlng the question of the relative
merits ~ the two sections, Southern
California or the Northern coast the
scmi-tropical fruits aud those ~ the
=. 40
my mind that thcy we're right in their
conclusions, that the apple is Of Car
greater value than the orange be
hrve that with US pear growing will be
more important than apples upon a
large scale. for the reason that the area
ot pear growing country Is far more
restricted than that ut apples. and for
the further reason that with US the
pear tree Is healthier has longer life
and bears just as early as the apple
can say that ! have scarcely \ dis.
easel pear tree IN my orchard. nov
twenty years old, and that ] never
have lost one during that time
cannot say IS much, however of the
apple.
As Go the kinds "a plant, the soil and
location the preparations to make ans
varieties go select. there is not nov
time Ia discuss in this article but theS
viii be treated 1T later on. One thlns
- certain, some EoUd advice may b,
gwen now do not plant too many va
yicues would say not more than fou
ot pcar>. As many ~ apples les, Cacl
Of p.ums. cherries and prunes W
have the sod and climate Ia producl
and the market e. consume tWeuf,
million pounds Of our fruit annuail'
within thr near future. and which wll
eventually be- greatly enlarged
In conversation with 81 Paul fruI
dealer today | ELECTED the tollowiB.
isy;s That during the fruit season =
f4ul would take % Us 81 least fou
carloads ot truit weekly. and Mime
aFa.ls as much more; but said hv
Nour people must learn better hov
o. pack aud ship their fruit. like the,
do 10 California He also stated tbs
he-stat1re the freight rates were lowe
and the time consumed in Transports
NoU less from California than from
Oregon and Washington % course
TITS matter ~ freight can and VIII p
ADJUSTED A. oar volume - trade NJ
warrant the attention that IS given J
upon the other lines The question g
packing also can 6e readily corrected
ne SAID, however one thing that ma,
properly cause a. some trouble an
Yet iR thc long run he u great a8Vau
'age 70 US, and that Was that cur tTSgi